Flower pollination

THE FLOWER: POLLINATION

Pollination consists in the transfer of pollen from the male part of a plant to the female part of the same plant or much more frequently from the male plant of a plant to the female part of another one belonging to the same species. This process can be carried out in the following ways:

Animal pollination: it is done by certain animals, like insects, birds, which carry pollen stuck in their bodies. Plants included in this group are very conspicuous, with http://www.botanical-online.com/floral structures and colours spe cially evolved to attract the animals they are pollinated by. Bees are the main pollinators of this group.

Wind pollination: It is the wind that is responsible for carrying the pollen. It takes place in plants with little conspicuous flowers, although they can be big plants which produce a great amount of pollen, like in the case of the pines.

Self pollination: When the pollen of the anthers of a plant falls on the the stigma of the same plant.

Water pollination: It takes places in some aquatic plants

Typical pollination

The most common way of pollination is that one performed by animals. In an illustrated way it could be explained as follows:

The animal is attracted by the bewitching colours, pleasant scents or sweet nectars of flowers. When trying to take the trophy, pollen gets stuck in its furry body.

Afterwards, the animal visits another flower to do the same. By touching the flower, pollen of the previous flower falls from its body into the stigma of the new flower.

Once the prize is taken (Pollen or nectar) the animal goes away with its body loaded with the pollen, that will pollinate the new flower where it will arrive soon. Meanwhile the pollen on the stigma begins to produce a tube which, coming down through the stigma, will arrive to the ovule to pollinate it.

Finally, the flowers withers. Ovules grow and grow and produce seeds. The ovary fattens to become a fruit.

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